Quality Statement

Label
Cigarette smoking behaviour - 2023 Census: Information by concept en-NZ
Definition

Cigarette smoking refers to the active smoking of one or more manufactured or hand-rolled tobacco cigarettes, from purchased or home-grown tobacco, per day, by a person aged 15 years and over. The term ‘smoking’ refers to active smoking behaviour, that is, the intentional inhalation of tobacco smoke. Smoking does not refer to or include passive smoking (the unintentional inhalation of tobacco smoke).

Cigarette smoking does not include:

  • the smoking of tobacco in cigars, pipes, and cigarillos
  • the smoking of e-cigarettes
  • the smoking of any other substances such as herbal cigarettes or marijuana
  • the consumption of tobacco products by other means, such as chewing
  • vaping.

The input variables that derive cigarette smoking behaviour are:

  • regular smoker indicator
  • ever smoked indicator.
en-NZ
Overall quality rating

High quality
Data quality processes section below has more detail on the rating.

en-NZ
Priority level

Priority level 3
A priority level is assigned to all census concepts: priority 1, 2, or 3 (with 1 being highest and 3 being the lowest priority).
Cigarette smoking behaviour is a priority 3 concept. Priority 3 concepts are given third priority in terms of quality, time, and resources across all phases of the census. Priority 3 concepts are those that are:

  • data that census would not be solely run for, and information about population groups that could not be captured without being in a census
  • data that is important to certain groups
  • data that can be used to create sampling frames for other surveys.

The census priority level for cigarette smoking behaviour remains the same as 2018.
The 2023 Census: Final content report has more information on priority ratings for census concepts.

en-NZ
Subject population

Census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
‘Subject population’ means the people, families, households, or dwellings that the variable applies to.

en-NZ
How this data is classified

Cigarette smoking behaviour data is classified into the following categories:

Cigarette smoking behaviour V3.0.0 – level 1 of 2

Code Category
01 Regular smoker
02 Ex-smoker
03 Never smoked regularly
99 Not elsewhere included

Cigarette smoking behaviour uses a 2-level hierarchical classification with the level 1 categories presented in the table above.

The level 1 residual category ‘Not elsewhere included’ contains the residual categories ‘Response unidentifiable’ and ‘Not stated’. Follow the link above the table to examine the classification in more detail.

The 2023 Census classification for cigarette smoking behaviour is consistent with that used in the 2018 Census.

Standards and classifications has more information on what classifications are, how they are reviewed, where they are stored, and how to provide feedback on them.

en-NZ
Question format

Cigarette smoking behaviour is derived from the regular smoker indicator and ever smoked indicator on the individual form (questions 25 and 26 on the paper form).

There were differences in the way a person could respond between the modes of collection (online and paper forms).

On the online form:

  • only single ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses were possible
  • if a respondent indicated that they were a current smoker, they were not able to answer the ‘ever smoked’ question
  • built-in routing functionality directed individuals in the subject population to the appropriate questions.

On the paper form:

  • multiple responses were possible which resulted in an invalid response. Alternative data sources were used later to determine a valid value.
  • respondents who indicated they were a current smoker were able to answer the ‘ever smoked’ question; however, if they did answer ‘ever smoked’, this response was removed.

Data from the online forms may therefore be of higher overall quality than data from paper forms. However, processing checks and edits were in place to improve the quality of the paper forms.

Stats NZ Store House has samples for both the individual and dwelling paper forms.

en-NZ
Examples of how this data is used

Data-use outside Stats NZ:

  • to monitor changes in smoking prevalence among the population of New Zealand
  • to understand the profile of smokers in order to develop health education programmes to support people to become non-smokers
  • to target and evaluate the success of health education programmes that monitor changes in smoking prevalence among groups in New Zealand
  • for examining the interrelationship between smoking and other socio-economic variables and how these change over time.

Data-use by Stats NZ:

  • cigarette smoking behaviour is included in analyses alongside variables such as ethnic group, iwi, age, sex, personal income, highest qualification, and work and labour force status.
en-NZ
Data sources

Alternative data sources were used for missing and residual census responses and responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for. The table below shows the distribution of data sources for cigarette smoking behaviour.

Data sources for cigarette smoking behaviour data, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of cigarette smoking behaviour data Percent
2023 Census response 85.0
Historical census 3.1
 2018 Census 2.2
 2013 Census 1.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 11.8
 CANCEIS(1) donor's response sourced from 2023 Census form 11.8
 CANCEIS donor's response sourced from 2018 Census <0.1
 CANCEIS donor's response sourced from 2013 Census <0.1
No information 0.0
Total 100.0
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Cigarette smoking behaviour data is derived from the regular smoker and ever smoked indicators.

For the regular smoker indicator, CANCEIS imputation was used to replace missing or residual responses.

For the ever smoked indicator, responses from the 2018 and 2013 Censuses were used to replace missing or residual responses, and where an individual reported that they were a regular smoker or had ever smoked. If there were no responses from the 2018 and 2013 Censuses, CANCEIS imputation was used.

Data sources and metric 1 data source and coverage quality ratings for input variables at the bottom of this page shows the data source tables for the input variables used to derive cigarette smoking behaviour.

Editing, data sources, and imputation in the 2023 Census describes how data quality is improved by editing, and how missing and residual responses are filled with alternative data sources (admin data and historical census responses) or statistical imputation. The paper also describes the use of CANCEIS (the CANadian Census Editing and Imputation System), which is used to perform imputation.

en-NZ
Missing and residual responses

Missing and residual responses represent data gaps where respondents either did not provide answers (missing responses) or provided answers that were not valid (residual responses).

Where possible, alternative data sources have been used to fill missing and residual responses in the 2023 and 2018 Censuses.

Percentage of ‘Not stated’ for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over:

  • 2023: 0.0 percent
  • 2018: 0.0 percent
  • 2013: 6.7 percent

For output purposes, the residual category responses are grouped with ‘Not stated’ and are classified as ‘Not elsewhere included’.

Percentage of ‘Not elsewhere included’ for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over:

  • 2023: 0.0 percent
  • 2018: 0.0 percent
  • 2013: 9.2 percent
en-NZ
Data quality processes

Overall quality rating: High
Data has been evaluated to assess whether it meets quality standards and is suitable for use.
Three quality metrics contribute to the overall quality rating:

  • data sources and coverage
  • consistency and coherence
  • accuracy of responses.

The lowest rated metric determines the overall quality rating.

Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census provides more information on the quality rating scale.

Data sources and coverage: High quality
The quality of all the data sources that contribute to the output for the variable were assessed. To calculate the data sources and coverage quality score for a variable, each data source is rated and multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output.

The rating for a valid census response is defined as 1.00. Ratings for other sources are the best estimates available of their quality relative to a census response. Each source that contributes to the output for that variable is then multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output. The total score then determines the metric rating according to the following range:

  • 0.98–1.00 = very high
  • 0.95–<0.98 = high
  • 0.90–<0.95 = moderate
  • 0.75–<0.90 = poor
  • <0.75 = very poor.

The high proportion of cigarette smoking behaviour data sourced from 2023 Census forms in conjunction with the use of historical census data and statistical imputation resulted in a score of 0.95, leading to a quality rating of high.

Data sources and metric 1 data source and coverage quality ratings for input variables at the bottom of this page shows the data sources and coverage rating calculation tables for the input variables used to derive cigarette smoking behaviour.

Data sources and coverage rating calculation for cigarette smoking behaviour data, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of cigarette smoking behaviour data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.00 85.03 0.85
2018 Census 0.86 2.18 0.02
2013 Census 0.82 0.96 0.01
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.60 11.83 0.07
Total 100.00 0.95
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Consistency and coherence: High quality
Cigarette smoking behaviour data is consistent with expectations across nearly all consistency checks, with some minor variation from expectations or benchmarks which makes sense due to real-world change, incorporation of other sources of data, or a change in how the variable has been collected.

The data source methodology has changed between the 2018 Census and the 2023 Census to improve the quality of the data and more accurately reflect the real world. The methodology for determining cigarette smoking behaviour in the 2018 Census used historical census data for current and past smoking behaviour and did not use historical census data to inform statistical imputation. This likely resulted in an overestimated smoking rate and underestimated ex-smoker rate.

Accuracy of responses: Very high quality
Cigarette smoking behaviour data has no data quality issues that have an observable effect on the data. The quality of coding is very high. Any issues with the variable appear in a very low number of cases (typically less than a hundred).

The type of form a respondent used (paper or online, English or bilingual) did not influence their response to the question. Improvement in scanning repair for paper forms reduced the number of responses needing to be sourced from alternative sources.

en-NZ
Recommendations for use and further information

Cigarette smoking behaviour data can be used in a comparable manner to the 2018 and 2013 Censuses.

However, data users should be aware of the following:

  • There have been changes to the data source methodology since the 2018 Census. The use of historical census data in 2018 for the regular smoker indicator may have led to the overestimation of the smoking rate in 2018. It is recommended that data users familiarise themselves with the changes in methodology between each census.

Comparisons to other data sources
Although surveys and sources other than the census collect cigarette smoking behaviour data, data users are advised to familiarise themselves with the strengths and limitations of the sources before use.

Key considerations when comparing cigarette smoking behaviour from the 2023 Census with other sources include:

  • census is a key source of information on cigarette smoking behaviour for small areas and small populations. Many other sources do not provide detail at this level
  • census aims to be a national count of all individuals in a population while other sources measuring this variable such as the:
    • New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS)
    • New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey
    • Action on Smoking and Health New Zealand (ASH) Year 10 Smoking Survey are only based upon a sample of the population.

The following are further differences between the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) and the 2023 Census:

  • although the NZHS has a smaller sample size, it captures more detailed smoking information
  • the census is a self-complete survey while the NZHS is administered primarily through face-to-face interviews
  • the regular smoker concept in the 2023 Census is most similar to the NZHS category of 'daily smoker' (rather than 'current smoker')
  • the census includes all non-private dwellings (for example, prisons, hospitals, hospices, dementia care units and hospital-level care in aged-care facilities) while the NZHS does not
  • the NZHS does not use imputation or any alternative data sources to account for non-response but does weight responses based on estimated missingness.
en-NZ
Information by variables from previous censuses

To assess how this concept aligns with the variables from previous censuses, use the links below:

Contact our Information centre for further information about using this concept.

en-NZ
Data sources and metric 1 data source and coverage quality ratings for input variables

Regular smoker indicator:

Data sources for regular smoker indicator, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of regular smoker indicator data Percent
2023 Census response 85.2
Historical census 0.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 14.8
 CANCEIS(1) donor's response sourced from 2023 Census form 14.8
No information 0.0
Total 100.0
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Metric 1 data sources and coverage rating calculation for regular smoker indicator data, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of regular smoker indicator data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.00 85.16 0.85
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.60 14.84 0.09
No information 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 100.00 0.94
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Ever smoked indicator:

Data sources for ever smoked indicator, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, excluding regular smokers, 2023 Census
Source of ever smoked indicator data Percent
2023 Census response 85.4
Historical census 3.4
 2018 Census 2.4
 2013 Census 1.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 11.2
 CANCEIS(1) donor's response sourced from 2023 Census form 11.2
 CANCEIS donor's response sourced from 2018 Census <0.1
 CANCEIS donor's response sourced from 2013 Census <0.1
No information 0.0
Total 100.0
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Metric 1 data sources and coverage rating calculation for ever smoked indicator, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, excluding regular smokers, 2023 Census
Source of ever smoked indicator data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.00 85.43 0.85
2018 Census 0.86 2.36 0.02
2013 Census 0.82 1.03 0.01
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.60 11.17 0.07
No information 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 100.00 0.95
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.
en-NZ

Information

History

View Full History
Revision Date Responsibility Rationale
88 26/09/2024 11:33:54 AM
87 26/09/2024 10:00:56 AM